La Chatte Gitane (or The Gypsy Cat) was the name we chose for our cottage in France. We chose it while on the road, moving home, from Ireland to France with 2 dogs and 7 cats in the car.

This blog began its insignificant life as a recipe book for friends and family who would ask me repeatedly for a recipe of this, that and the other.

Since then it has taken many different directions, like gypsies tend to do. Sometimes making a U-turn and revisiting familiar roads and taking a break when necessary.

You'll find recipes here, but also musings about the places we've called home, the gardens that we've established, not always successfully, the homes we've improved and the environments we've lived in. Currently, that is back in Ireland.

An extra drain pipe was placed underneath the road to lead the excess water from the stream. Hopefully now the little brook can cope after a heavy downpour. As you can see the level is low, because it hasn't rained in a while.

This is what used to happen.

Would you believe me if I told you it is easier to walk too ?

This is going to last us forever (famous last words). At the top of the road they dug a new drain with pipe to lead flood water away into the stream instead of over the road.